The hero of a romance in prose of the same title, originally written in Portuguese in four books. These four were translated into Spanish by Montalvo, who added a fifth. Subsequent romancers added the exploits and adventures of other knights, so as to swell the romance to fourteen books. The French version is much larger still, one containing twenty-four books, and another running through seven volumes. The original author was Vasco de Lobeira, of Oporto, who died 1403.

1

The hero, called the Lion-knight, from the device on his shield, and Beltenebros (darkly beautiful), from his personal appearance, was a love-child of Perion, King of Gaul, and Elizena, Princess of Brittany. He is represented as a poet and musician, a linguist and a gallant, a knight-errant and a king, the very model of chivalry.

2

Other names by which Amadis was called were the Lovely Obscure, the Knight of the Burning Sword, the Knight of the Dwarf, etc. Bernardo, in 1560, wrote Amadigi di Gaula.